Owned
by Tragedy of the 14th
Summary: Mana has been sold again, this time to a red haired man named Cross, who's manners and attitude are unlike any owner he has previously dealt with. However, he doesn't particularly dislike him, as their relationships grows into something much more complex then they had originally intended. ManaXCross, lots of smut, violence, and possibly other inappropriate things.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

'_Stay there you fucking brats! And don't you dare cause a ruckus, or I'll beat you to the edge of death!"_

Snarled the man who had dragged Mana all the way to a vacant facility, the filthy room empty save for another small child, notable due to his messy scarlet hair. Thrusting the smaller boy into the room, the man growled another threat, which was cut off as he slammed the door shut, a small click echoed softly as the man locked the door.

The child who had entered the room let out a feeble groan, shivering as he began to crawl towards the other child, desperate for warmth, as he wore thin, raggedy clothes which did little to protect him from the frigid flooring. Bruised and tired, the child made frequent stops to catch his breath, finally closing the distance between the two strangers. He let out a weak sniffle, tears forming at the edge of his eyes as the weight of the ordeal came crashing on him, a miserable sob wracking his body as he buried his face in his bruised hands. The horrors which had befallen him burned fresh in his mind, bloody memories of two corpses flashing through his mind and only increasing in volume his pitiful sobs.

'They'll beat you if they hear you crying.'

Muttered the red haired child, fashioning a weak glare at the other. He too, was scored with various bruises and cuts, though they didn't seem to bother him to much. His comment caused the other to cut his cries short, attempting to get a handle on himself, allowing one last whimper, before wiping the tears from his tear streaked face.

'Wh-where are we?'

The child managed to hiccup, lifting his face and turning to face the other boy, his golden eyes tired and terrified as he sought reassurance that wouldn't come.

'Who knows? I just arrived here a few hours ago. How'd they get you?'

The question pained the child, screwing up his face as he let out a wail of agony, which was quickly cut off by the older boy, who had clasped his hand over his mouth. He waited a moment, listening for the any sounds or sign that the men who had brought them here were coming, but heard none.

'What the hell was that?! Do you want to be killed?!'

He didn't remove his hand from the others mouth, waiting for the horrified expression to fade before releasing him, glaring at him one more time for good measure.

'Whats going to happen to us?'

A soft snort came from the red head, as though the answer to the question was obvious.

'Sell us, maybe for hard labor, maybe as whores for some old perverts. Who knows?'

'Wh-whores? Slaves?!'

'What did you expect brat?''

'My-my name isn't brat, its Mana! And I didn't know what to expect, I-i thought they were just going to kill me somewhere else.'

'You'll be wishing they had when they sell you.'

_'Sh-shouldn't you worry about yourself?! You're in the same position as I am.'_

_'True, but I'm older and already been through this already.'_

_A distressed whimper was the only response the red head received in turn, the child again, burying his face in his calloused hands. Oh how he wish someone, anyone, would save him from whatever would befall before him. A small sigh escaped the red head, hesitantly wrapping his arms around the child soothingly, _

_'It's okay though, because so long as we're together, I'll protect you, okay?'_

_He murmured gently into the other's ear, and though the child still refused to uncover his face, he gave a small, timid nod. Moving only his lips, he repeated his earlier question._

_'What's your name?'_

_'…...Marian.'_

With a startled jolt, Mana awakened from the dream, nearly falling forward against the opposite side of the carriage.

"Fuck!"

He hissed as he was tossed about, the carriage rocking about dangerously on a particularly rough patch of road before settling down, continuing on a much smoother, less painful pace. With a sigh, Mana attempted to readjust himself, an annoyed expression appearing as he remembered the tightly wrapped ropes, which bounded his ankles and wrist, making movement impossible.

Darkness enshrouded Mana as he squirmed against his bondages, trying to ease his pain as the tight rope which bonded his hands behind his back rubbed brutally against his already raw skin. Again, he had been sold again. To whom, he didn't know, all he knew was that they had paid a hefty amount, enough for his previous owner, whom had always been pleased with his performance and sworn he'd never get rid of him, eagerly took in exchange for his dirty whore. Not that Mana had cared, the bastard who'd owned him before was the worst he had ever served, which was saying a lot. Again, the carriage jostled violently, sending Mana against the side roughly, wincing as he head slammed against the wood painfully.

If he hadn't been tied up, maybe the journey would have been significantly less painful, yet though he had shown no attempt to escape from the handlers who'd come to pick him up, he had been tied up all the same, and quite roughly. The rope rubbed against his wrist painfully, and he gritted his teeth to keep from voicing his pain aloud. Even his feet had been bound, which was utterly pointless, why would he try to escape? He'd been in the business long enough to know it was pointless, and it wasn't like he had anywhere to go, any life outside being a slave had been destroyed.

Of course, he had had a life before being reduced to such a state of servility, one much kinder and simpler than the one he had now. Gentle memories of his brother and mother soothed his somewhat anxious mind, before those precious memories he kept close were ravished by the tragedy which had befallen their family. Though Mana preferred not to ponder to long on the events which had occurred that particular day, there were times when he simply could not push those dreadful images out of his head, nor the terror which had rendered him useless to save the only family he had. Recollections of the cold corpses which were surrounded by a pool of blood constantly haunted him, even as the years had past, he regretted not having left his cruel world as Neah and Mother had.

_If only those bastards had been kind enough to take me along with Neah and Mother instead of letting me to live in this hellish society._

Sighing quietly, he tried to get into a comfortable position again, leaning his head against the wall, realizing that the carriage was starting to slow down. They had already been traveling for hours, though Mana was unaware of how long exactly, only knowing that they had left a little past dawn and been traveling ever since. No stops had occurred during the ride, which meant that where ever they were taking him was less than a days journey. Either that or they hadn't cared to stop for supplies, which would be oddly moronic.

Biting his lip nervously, he waited as the carriage bumped along the dirt road they were traveling on, only for all movement to stop suddenly. Since the blinds had been shut tight the entire journey, Mana had no idea what time it was, though he had a vague feeling that it was about midday, though he couldn't be quite sure, as he had fallen asleep for who knows how long for a good portion of the ride.

A gruff shout was heard from the front of the carriage, alerting Mana that the man who was bringing him was clearly not in the best of moods, before the door was opened, light spilling into the small compartment and causing Mana to squint, temporarily blinded by the brightness after having sat in the dark area for hours. He was not given any time to adjust, grabbed roughly by his shoulder and forced onto the dirt road, stumbling and falling quite painfully on his face, a grunt of pain tumbling out as he struggled to maintain his expression blank of any pain or suffering. He wouldn't give them that much, even with the little of his pride which had yet to be destroyed in his line of work.

Looking up, he could see an enormous mansion before him, along with huge fields of tobacco. Well that would certainly explain where his new owner had gotten all the money, since he was under the impression that most plantation owners were extremely wealthy. Even bond by his hands and feet, he attempted to get back on to his feet, though found little success and was forced to lie back down.

_I wouldn't be holding this stupid procession up longer if they had simply not tied me up like this!_

Though the men bringing him over didn't seem to care much by this set back, the one who he vaguely remembering tying the coarse ropes across his wrist grasping him by his arms and bringing into an upright position, before pushing him forward roughly. Doing his best not to fall flat on his face again, Mana managed to hobble precariously on the balls of his feet, regaining his balance after a moment. His efforts evoked a snort of amusement from his audience, which he ignored, merely standing still, since it wasn't like he would be able to reach the mansion without help. The driver, who seemed to already be a short enough tempered of a man, swiftly seized Mana by his thick chestnut hair, a cry of agony slipping past his swollen, filthy lips as sharp pain shot from the top of his skull. Grinding his teeth furiously to prevent his 'caretakers' from hearing anymore of his misery, he staggered along as the man practically dragged him to the pristine white, wooden door, kicking it open as he forced Mana into it.

It was a large, spacious room, painted white and holding a welcoming sort of atmosphere, though Mana was not able to fully take in what seemed to be a very pleasant guest area as he was thrown onto the floor. His shoulder caught the full force of the blow, a faint semblance of a whimper passing unwillingly from Mana. First his face, and now his shoulder, what an absolutely wonderful way to start off his first day.

"Stay there you filthy whore!"

The man whom had throw him at the chair growled angrily, flashing a furious glare at Mana before shuffling into the next room, his companions accompanying him, leaving Mana to his thoughts.

_Like I could escape like this, idiot._

Mana thought bitterly, still trying to loosen the ropes on his ankles, while had given a little lee way at his adventure into the house. Though the bastard who had tied them must have done this countless times before, because he couldn't manage to loosen them further in the slightest.

Resigning himself to his fate, he looked about the room, glancing at the beautiful paintings which lined the floral wallpapered wall, all of depicting gorgeous landscapes of various areas which Mana had only imagined or heard from word of mouth. He mused to himself over who had painted such highly detailed paintings, wondering if the places they depicted were as real and lovely. Moving his gaze across the room, his gaze flickered towards the center of the room, a glossy wooden table sat in the middle of the strangely vacant room, a vase of wild flowers set perfectly in the middle. Against the wall was a bookcase filled with numerous books and a globe, next to it a cabinet which appeared to hold quite a bit of fancy liquor. Great, wouldn't it be simply marvelous if his new owner was also a big drinker? He'd learned from a older owner, whom had been quite the heavy drinker, that those who drank in excessive often had a temper one did not wish to mess with, nor engage in any sort of activity. A nervous shudder trailed down Mana's spine, painful memories evoked by the mere sight of the liquor, and he looked away quickly.

Briefly, he wondered why exactly he had been bought, since if this new owner was rich enough to pay so handsomely for him, he could have bought any other whore who was much more attractive and alluring than himself. In his opinion, which wasn't much, he wasn't much of a prize, though something about him must have made the other man think so to pay so much. Then again, he hadn't been told exactly how much money the other had paid for him, so perhaps it was just a larger number than his previous owner had paid. He mused to himself, hastily wiping the small smile that had flickered across his face when he heard footsteps coming from the hallway the men had left in.

He regained his calm composure, trying to maintain his mask of submissiveness and indifference. The first to enter the room was a handsomely dressed man, whose scarlet hair caught Mana's attention, as it was neatly combed and tied into a ponytail, though the ends flew in every direction. He was followed by the other men whom had brought Mana here, and yet Mana's attention was directed at the red head, carefully inspecting his outward appearance. His slender face was highlighted by the strands of crimson hair which broke free of the ponytail, his slim, tall figure accentuated by the white collared shirt he wore loosely. The dark ebony trousers he wore showing off the gorgeous curves, though Mana swiftly shifted his gaze away, not wanting to upset or anger his new owner by staring. Certainly, he was no ugly brute who merely wanted a pretty fuck toy to show off to all his nasty friends. Well, if this was his new owner, he was certainly quite handsome, which was a first for Mana. He didn't think he would mind having to give himself to this man.

Well at least, anymore than he normally cared, since this was just another job.

He remained unnaturally still as the man crossed the room silently, stopping short in front of Mana and inspecting his face carefully, seeming satisfied with whatever he was looking for, as he gave a curt nod. Those bright vermillion eyes searched his body hungrily, causing a light shiver to crawl up Mana's back. He again altered his gaze away and onto the floor, unable to meet the man's ravenous gaze. Surprise flickered across his face when the man ran his hand through his tangled chestnut hair, another shivering racking his body at the warm, gentle touch.

The man turned to the other men, his voice surprisingly deep, "This will do." He murmured, waving them off, though one moved forward, giving the other man a look. A soft growl rumbled out of the red head, as he grabbed a handful of bills from his front pocket and handed them to the man, who eagerly took the money and scuttled off with the rest of his crooneys.

_Good riddance._

The scarlet haired man saw them off, only turning his attention back to Mana when the carriage had gone out of sight. Mana met his gaze steadily for a moment, before lowering his eyes to the floor, waiting for whatever was bound to come his way. Instead, the other man called for maid, ordering her to take care of his new 'attendant', as he had some business to take care. With that, he left without saying another word, which Mana was a bit grateful for. Regardless of the attraction he felt towards his new master, he was not stupid enough to not be wary of him. Undoubtedly, this new owner would be someone who'd demand quite a bit from him, and wouldn't have any disobedience. Not that Mana would offer any, he wasn't keen on discovering what happened when you didn't do as this owner asked.  
The maid. Did he call her Sarah? Came towards him and began to cut away the taut ropes which bound his ankles together, and he sighed gratefully as they fell to the floor with soft thumps, finally able to move his feet freely. She did the same for the bondages on his wrist, and his golden eyes met her brown, conveying his gratitude in the simple actions. She nodded, motioning for him to follow her into the hallway. They traveled down the long room and into a smaller one, where a steaming tub of water awaited him.

"Master Cross has requested that you take a bath and change into another set of clothes."

Ah, so thats his name, Cross.  
She left without giving Mana a moment to respond, shutting the door quietly as she did. Mana eyed the tub apprehensively, as though he had had numerous owners, baths had always been something of a luxury. To be offered one within minutes of his arrival was quite something for him, easily stripping the tarnished white shirt he had been wearing, along with the thin black pants. He put a hand in to test the temperature, finding it to be perfect, quickly dipping his feet in first, then the rest of his body, an appreciating moan slipping out as the warm water soothed his sore muscles.

Maybe this time won't be so bad. Or at least, moderately bearable.

Making himself comfortable, he allowed his entire body to relax in the soothing water, giving himself a moment to soak in the moment of blissful warmth. He dunked his head under once, twice, three times, completely soaking his long, thick, chestnut hair. Sweet relief filled him as the steaming water soothed his aching muscles and joints. On the side of the tub looked like soap and some sort of liquid, which he figured was something for him to use on his hair. He grabbed the bar and dunked it in the water, working it into a lather on his dirty skin, scrubbing every inch and crevice of his body until the cleansing lather coated his entire body. He worked the soap into his hair, which though it was a bit unkempt, was unusually well maintained, as it was one of the few things Mana liked about himself, taking exceptional care of his hair.

Once he was satisfied with his progress, he rinsed himself off, reluctantly leaving the warm tub and dunking himself with a cold pail of water to rid himself of the sweet smelling suds. Shivering, he reached for a dry, fluffy towel, wrapping into around his body as he wrung his hair with a smaller one. Of course, it wasn't like he had never had bath in his life, since most people weren't very keen with sleeping with someone who stunk royally. However, it was always a quick, cold dunk at most.

A large mirror hung on the wall in the bathroom, which Mana passed and took a quick look, before glancing away just as quickly. Often, at least, so he was told, his looks were quite attractive, especially his unique golden hues, which seemed to captivate plenty of people's attention. He didn't like looking at himself in the mirror, as though he feared the person he had become. Certainly, he had already lost all shame in the business he had been forced into, as there was no escape for anyone once you were caught. However, he couldn't help but occasionally regret the whore he had become, sometimes even hoping for something to happen so he would no longer have to endure this lifestyle.

A sigh past his lips, looking around for the clothes the maid had mentioned, only to find nothing but his old dirty clothes he had stripped free of. He wasn't keen on putting them on again, as the odor they emitted was quite foul, so he slipped out of the bathroom with only a towel hastily wrapped around his waist. Peeking into the hallway, he tried to remember which direction the maid may have gone, deciding to go down the hallway when he heard amiable chatter from that direction. He walked cautiously to the door where he could hear people talking, hoping to perhaps hear the maid's voice and locate her without having to search the entire place for her. As he leaned in closer, the door suddenly opened, another maid slamming into him with a loud exclamation of surprise.

She quickly backed up, revealing several other women whom were dressed similarly, all looking up to see what the commotion was about. An awkward silence filled the room as Mana gulped nervously, anxiously searching the room for Sarah, relieved to have located her towards the back of the room with a load of laundry. She looked up to see why the ladies had gone silent, meeting Mana's gaze questioningly, her eyebrows raised in surprise at Mana's appearance.

"You didn't mention where the clothes were." Mana murmured softly, his voice barely reaching Sarah, whom realized she had forgotten his clothing in another room, pardoning herself as she bustled out of the room.

Murmurs broke out amongst the servants in the room, casting both envious and loathing glares his way. Through the quiet gossip, Mana managed to make out certain words and phrases which caught his attention 'must be the new whore' 'other one probably died' 'hell he never brings a guy' 'ugly whore'. One maid in particular seemed quite unnerved, her furious cerulean eyes scorching Mana with a furious glare.

_What a lovely reception._

Slightly amused by their ugly chatter, he simply waited patiently for Sarah to come back, a small smile threatening to widen into a grin. Really, these women acted as though he were stealing their master from them, like he had some sort of choice in the matter. Perhaps the master was a little more inviting with his staff as he was with his whores. Though from what Mana could gather, the previous ones seemed to have all been largely appealing women. How strange, perhaps Cross was just curious about having sex with another man. Well, it wouldn't be the first owner who'd bought him for that sort of thing, but then again, it was rarely pleasant, having to do all the work and often experiencing more pain than pleasure through each attempt before being tossed aside.

A tap on his shoulder caused him to snap out of his musing, turning to face Sarah, whom handed him the clean set of clothes to him.

"Here. Master Cross will most likely be arriving quite soon, so kindly wait for him in the guest room you first entered in."

Mana nodded, leaving the room and Sarah as he headed back towards the bathroom. He glanced at the clothes as he walked down, running his hand over the smooth silk shirt he had been given, fascinated by the quality of it. Sure, it was just a shirt, but the price of it wasn't cheap, and it again caught Mana by surprise. He wasn't normally dressed up, usually kept hidden and given any old clothing, since it wasn't needed during the act and often only got in the way, irritating quite a few of his owners to the point where he was constantly kept naked. Good times.

He quickly put on the trousers and blouse given, finding they fit just a little big, but were otherwise perfect. He skimmed past the mirror, only barely glancing to make sure he didn't look to hideous. Returning to the guest room, he took a seat on one of the cushioned benches, tapping his fingers against the wood anxiously as he awaited Cross's arrival.

A angry yell alerted him to Cross's presence, a series of expletives furiously spat out at someone, growing louder in volume as he walked closer to the door, striding angrily into the room and muttering dangerously under his breath about incompetent fools. He didn't seem to register Mana's presence in the room for a moment, too consumed with whatever had pissed him off before he realized the other's presence.

"You there! Whats your name?"

He snapped rather impatiently, crimson hues flashing irritably as he took a seat on another couch, looking over Mana's clothes with an all to familiar gaze.

"Mana, sir."

He wasn't sure what he was allowed to call Cross, but sir was most likely the safest way to go. At least, thats what Mana hoped.

"You'll address me as Master, understand?" Cross growled, causing Mana to look downward nervously, not wanting to be hit for his stupidity.

"Yes, Master."

"Good, now get over here and prove to me you're worth every damn penny I spent on a whore like you!"

Not at all fazed by the request, Mana's mind kicked into gear, his blank expression turning instantly into an alluring inviting one, the small but seductive smile which he flashed at Cross causing the other man to stiffen slightly, surprised by the sudden adjustment in attitude. Mana took no time at all to cross the room, capturing Cross's coarse lips roughly, his intensity returned in favor by Cross, whose impatient tongue entered Mana's mouth forcefully, eliciting a erotic moan from Mana, who's tongue eagerly met Cross's as they battled for dominance, though Mana easily allowed Cross to win and infiltrate him violently. Soft hands intertwined into the soft lockets of vermillion hair, Mana shifting his position from half leaning down to straddling Cross on the couch. He began to grind himself against the subtle bulge in Cross's pants, which pressed against his pants needingly after a few minutes of this and the desperate make out.

Intoxicated by Cross's skillful tongue, the warmth of immense pleasure spread to his lower groin, his erection pressing against his pants urgently and begging to be relieved. Ignoring it for the time, Mana grinded harder against Cross's erection urgently, who in turn let out a husky groan, breaking the kiss and unbuckling his pants, pushing Mana's mouth towards the bulge.

Expert hands removed Cross's undergarments quickly, freeing the erect length and eliciting another wanton moan from Cross, his head leaning against the back of couch for support, breathing slightly erratic. Mana rubbed the member up and down, teasingly running his thumb against the tip, pre cum spilling out as Mana's skillful hands continued to evoke lustful groans from Cross. However, Cross desired more, finding that Mana was moving much to slow for him, grasping the other by his hair and shoving his mouth over the leaking cock.

Wincing internally as a painful shudder racked his body, Mana swallowed the erection whole, his tongue flicking over each crevice and finding each sensitive spot which only made Cross more demanding, bucking into Mana's mouth as he came closer to coming. With one hand, Mana held onto the couch for support, the other fondling his master's balls.

"Oh fuck yes!"

Cross, who was thoroughly enjoying Mana's skill, felt himself reaching past the point of blissful pleasure and into ecstasy. His heavy breathing continued until he let out an erotic groan, releasing his load into Mana's mouth, still holding tightly onto Mana's hair and forcing him to swallow every bit. His hands loosened slightly, as Mana freed himself and licked at the saliva and cum which had slipped out of his mouth, golden eyes keen with lust as they gazed desirably into the half satiated scarlet hues.

But Cross wanted more. He was far from done with Mana.

"Clean it up."

He said gruffly, Mana complying as his tongue licked away the cum on the folds and the tip, unbuttoning his shirt with his free hand. However, he was stopped when a quiet squeak was heard from the door hallway, a younger looking servant with pure white hair flushed bright pink at the scene before him, rooted to the spot in shock and immense embarrassment, unable to think of a proper way to respond to the following situation he had come across. Mana, who was used to people walking in on him, continued what he was doing, and though Cross spoke up, he didn't stop Mana from doing what he was doing.

"What is it? Haven't I told you brats to not to disturb me when I'm busy?!" Cross snapped in a rather composed voice, though the hint if huskiness could not be completely masked.

The white haired servant seemed to regain control of his voice, though the blush did not fade, nor did the embarrassment which was clear in his tone.

"I, uh, h-have a m-messa-ge...f-fro-m Mas-ster Fr-o-oi. He-he wants um t-to se-see you t-today. Wa-wants to tal-lk abou-about some bu-business opportunities."

The boy stuttered painfully, silver eyes wide and averting the scene before him, shaking dreadfully. Cross hissed angrily, pushing Mana away and pulling his pants up, the irritated glint in his vermillion eyes difficult to miss.

"Fine, tell him I'll see him in an hour. Also, take 'Mana' to my room and get it ready for tonight."

Cross said as he captured Mana's lips fiercely, biting the other's lower lips before releasing it and hungrily kissing up to the other's earlobe.

"You better be ready you damn slut, I'm going to ravish you so thoroughly tonight, you won't be able to even stand."

With that, Cross left the room without sparing Mana or the other servant another glance. Mana, slightly surprised by the turn of events, wiped the seductive expression of his face, replacing it with his normal, stoic look, golden eyes flickering to met the silver ones.

"So are you just going to stand here until he comes back or what?"

Mana asked scathingly, hand placed on his hip as he eyed the boy. He seemed to be of at least 16 years, but then again, that strange white hair of his also made him seem twice his age. Mana barely noticed the bright scar over his left eye or the deformed looking arm. The boy reminded him that Neah would probably have been his age, had he lived that long. Pursing his lips, he awaited the servant's response impatiently.

"Of course I'm not!"

The boy finally managed to snap back at him, Mana arching an eyebrow at the boy, who finally began moving down into the hallway and up the flight of stairs at the end of it. Mana didn't bother to keep up with the pace of the boy, who raced up the stairs as if his life depended on it. The stairs continued upwards to what was most likely a third floor, but the servant waited for him in the second floor, silver eyes refusing to meet the blank gilded ones. He pointed towards a large door, which once Mana pushed past it, revealed an enormous master suite, the luxurious bed before him large enough to fit five people comfortably, candles and other toys lining one side of the room.

He casually walked over to said toys and began to look them over, familiar with the majority of them. He turned back to the bed and lied down, staring up at the ceiling, ignoring as the boy entered and exited the room repeatedly, fixing the bed and bringing in bottles of liquor and a container of oil. Closing his eyes for a minute, Mana took the chance to rest his eyes for a moment, the day's journey now beginning to wear on him.

Sighing, he flipped onto his side, catching the white haired boy sneaking a glance at him, before realizing he had been caught and turning away quickly, leaving the room and returning with a platter of food.

At the sight of the food, Mana's stomach rumbled appreciatively, as did the boy's, which evoked an amused snort from Mana, the boy immediately looking away, flustered.

As Mana began to tentatively pick at the food, he tossed one of the larger pieces of bread at the servant, who flashed him a very grateful look before rapidly devouring it in a matter of seconds. Apparently looks could be deceiving, as though the boy looked well fed, he gazed longingly at the platter of food before Mana, as though even if he ate it all it still wouldn't satiate his hunger.

"Eat what you like, I'm not really that hungry."

Mana found himself saying, ignoring the pang of hunger in his stomach which contradicted his statement. At first, the boy shook his head furiously, but eventually gave in after a bit of coaxing and his hunger giving way. The platter, which had been full of rich meats, vegetables, and a bowl of soup, was emptied in a matter of minutes, Mana surprised by the other boy's appetite, settled back down onto the bed and closing his eyes when the boy went to take his leave. Neither had spoken during the meal, as they had no idea what to say to each other and they were both enjoying the food too much to bother striking up a conversation.

"Um..."

Mana opened his eyes and pushed himself into an upright position, gazing into the piercing silver gaze with an arch of his eyebrow.

"Yes?"

The boy suddenly flushed, looking downwards before saying something so quickly, Mana nearly missed it entirely.

"He likes people who are really loud."

The boy then slammed the door, loud, fast pacing footsteps indicating that he was running and soon the noise became distant, before it disappeared altogether.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This is my first real fanfic, so forgive all the shitty writing and what not. The following chapter contains sex, so you don't like that sort of thing, just read up to the end of the italicized, and then scroll all the way down to the part where its italicized. Thanks for taking the time to read my lame fic. _

Chapter 2

_'We've been here quite a while, are they not going to sell us?'_

_'Why would they not? What other use do they have for a bunch of kids? They're probably just waiting for a higher offer, since you're probably more valuable than I am.'_

_'Don't say that Marian!'_

_'Hmph, well you are. If they actually gave you a good bath and cleaned your bruises up, you'd have people practically throwing themselves at you.'_

_'…...You're so strange Marian.'_

_'No, I just have an eye for beautiful things.'_

_Mana groaned, shaking his head as he covered his face, embarrassed by Marian's constant subtle not so subtle flirting. Honestly, there was nothing to do in this god forsaken room, they'd been stuck in there for quite a few days already, having nothing to do but converse with one another. Not that Mana minded in the least, it had been...for lack of better words, interesting, to say the least. Marian, who he had learned was about 14, going on to 15, had been a whore for several years, starting when he was abandoned by his mother to the slums of London, though he had been faring fairly well by various people who took pity on him, some perverts had picked him up and that was the end of his 'normal' life. If you could call it that._

_'You know, you don't see yourself very clearly either Marian. You're far from hideous, and you have some experience with all...this.'_

_Marian snorted, 'Most of these sick bastards prefer kids like you who are ripe and fresh, not someone who's old like me and is experienced. Its no fun for them otherwise.'_

_A shiver ran down Mana's spine, looking away uncomfortably. He didn't like discussing this, it terrified him just the thought of having to give himself to another person. Marian had told him what to expect, in vivid detail which Mana wasn't sure had been necessary. Then again, it wasn't like whoever bought him would be half as nice as Marian was, they wouldn't give a damn what he thought or felt._

_'Thanks for the comforting thought.' Mana grumbled, moving away from the wall and taking a seat on the floor._

_'Would you rather I lie?'_

_'Not particularly, just wish you weren't so blunt.'_

_'Get used to it, this is the reality of your situation, our situation.'_

_Silence quietly followed after that comment, since it was true. He was fortunate to have someone like Marian to at least explain what would happen to him. No one was going to tell him anything, he was just going to be used over and over before he either died or was sold somewhere else. His life hadn't been easy, they weren't rich, but they're weren't poor either. Of course, they'd been struggling on payments, but they had been happy, and sheltered from most of the world's cruelty._

_'Mana.'_

_'What?'_

_'…...'_

_'Marian?'_

_'…...Sorry, just wanted to say your name...'_

Something sharp was prodding him on the side, forcing Mana to reluctantly open his weary eyes, coming face to face with a pair of curious silver hues. Groaning, he pushed himself into a sitting position, blinking as he tried to wake himself up, exhausted from the memories which kept popping into his dreams. Couldn't he go a day without thinking about that man? It wasn't like they'd ever see each other again. Hell, he was probably dead, or maybe he'd left this hell hole, though the latter didn't seem likely.

"What do you want?"

The boy squirmed, suddenly nervous as he looked down at his feet, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

"Just wanted to tell you that Master Cross will be here soon, since he probably won't be too happy if you're asleep when he comes back..."

Trailing off, the boy shuffled out of the room, hunched over as though he were trying to make himself as small as possible. Mana smiled briefly, amused by the child's mannerism, he certainly was quite thankful for his intervention, since he hadn't meant to fall asleep.

"Thank you."

He murmured gratefully, causing the boy to straighten out and turn around, facing him. Their eyes met once more, and the boy opened his mouth, as though there was something more he wished to say. However, the slamming of a door had him running from the room as quietly as he could, meaning the Master was back.

_What lovely timing._

Mana immediately moved towards the mirror, doing his best to fix his hair, which had partially dried after his brief rest. It rested in soft curls down his shoulders, though some parts hung in tangled clumps down his back. He managed to sort them through with his fingers, eyeing the door apprehensively. He unbuttoned a few of the tops buttons on his dress shirt, pushing his hair to one shoulder and tempted to remove his pants. It was clear this guy liked sex, and lots of it from all the toys and oil he kept in plain sight in his bedroom.

Briefly, he wondered just how many others there were before him. Probably a lot. He wouldn't last long either, but he supposed that was to be expected, since everything was only temporarily. A flash of red out of the corner of his eye brought him out of his thoughts, as his wrists were pushed upwards, his body against the wall as an all too eager mouth captured his and began to roughly take him.

Golden eyes widened with surprise, caught off guard as the older man forced entrance into his mouth, tasting of wine and another sweet smelling aroma. A hand slipped under his shirt, eliciting a shiver from Mana, panting as his focus went from kissing the man to just trying to breathe. This wasn't anything he wasn't already used to, but his brain was still reeling from those old memories, when it had been just him and the other boy, Marian. Only recently had he remembered the child, and now the beautiful red head seemed to invade his every dream.

After he had been sold, he often sought out the red head whenever he was allowed out, searching the crowds in vain for that lovely scarlet hair. But he'd never seen him after that, so he'd put it out if his mind, believing him for dead. This new master reminded him greatly of Marian, but he knew it wasn't him, and he had to remind himself of that as Cross deepened the kiss.

Eager hands teased his nipples, Cross growling as he grinded into Mana, evoking more groans from him. Oh god, he hated how much his body loved this, how the unwanted actions caused him such pleasure. The heat he felt coiling in his lower body continued, distracted by the large bulge in Cross's pants which pushed against his own, the fingers which teased and the warm lips which forced themselves on Mana's and stole his breath away. It was easier if he stopped thinking so much, he needed to stop thinking about it and just relax...

But he couldn't, Cross demanded his attention remain on him, as he broke away from the kiss and stripped Mana of his shirt, before pushing him onto the bed. Somehow, he'd already taken his own shirt off without Mana noticing, practically straddling him as he attacked his neck. Teeth bit down on a sensitive spot on Mana's neck, letting out a cry as jolts of pleasure traveled through his body, arching his back upwards.

A smirk curved up Cross's face, visibly pleased with Mana's reaction. At least, thats what Mana assumed, since what other reason would he smirk for? His pants increased as Cross worked his way down Mana's body, leaving a trail of gentle kisses. Shivers trailed down his spine, as Mana let out a small sigh of pleasure, enjoying the sudden gentleness, which felt out of place after the intense kiss.

Shit he hated this, he hated liking this.

His trousers were off in seconds, along with his undergarments, freeing his desire, a violent shudder wracking his body as the cool air met his erection. Wanton groans slipped past his bruised lips as a teasing hand glided across his inner thighs, dipping ever so close to his need, but only to retreat away from it. God, he just wanted to be released, it felt to damn good.

Moaning, his hands gripped the bedsheets in anticipation, unconsciously rocking his hips upwards. His body craved the touch, craved release from this tormenting warmth and desired more pleasure.

However, his want remained untouched, as Cross lowered his mouth towards his entrance, causing Mana to shiver with delight at the lustful glimmer in Cross's red eyes. Fuck, he reminded him so much of Marian. Maybe it would be easier if he just gave in to his fantasies and believed it wasn't some bastard getting into his pants this time, but that red head Mana had fallen for. Something warm touched him entrance, evoking a low moan.

_Marian._

Pants grew louder as Cross's tongue further teased him, dragging it on far more than necessary. Why wouldn't he just fuck him like every other owner had then sold him off for someone else to use. Through his hazy mind, he somehow managed to let his thoughts slip out without remembering what position he was in.

"G-god, just fu-fuck me alre...ad-MM!"

Stopping abruptly, Cross raised an eyebrow at him, curious and at the same time questioningly. Had he been waiting for permission or something? The hell? He opened his mouth slightly, as if to say something, but instead, seemed to think better of it, grabbing a bottle and dripping some of the contents on to his hand. Mana hadn't realized that Cross's pants were already off. He was...stunning, Mana couldn't lie, but the numerous scars all over his chest caught Mana's curiosity, wondering where they had come from. His attention was drawn away from that as his hips were dragged closer to Cross, the tip of his own erect length pressing into Mana and thrusting into him none to gentle.

"MMMM!"

He couldn't help the loud moan of ecstasy which tumbled out of him, eyes half closed with pleasure as the other pounded into him. The haze of pleasure thick in his mind made it hard to think of anything else, as he pushed his negative feelings down and enjoyed the temporary bliss. Lips were parted, breath leaving his body as quickly as it came, as Cross leaned in, taking Mana's lips against his own. The rough kiss sent thrills of ecstasy down his spine, letting Cross dominate him until the heat which coiled in his lower abdomen released.

"gAAHHHHHHH!"

Cross thrusted into him as Mana lost himself to the pleasure of his orgasm, until he too came into him. Motionless for a moment, Cross pulled out and lay beside Mana, pulling him close and into another kiss. This time, it was much more gentle, though Mana was only half into it, exhaustion from the day's journey, stress, and this round weighing him down. His eyes fluttered shut, closing off his vision as he murmured something faintly, slumber overtaking him.

_'Its been nearly five days...isn't that too long?'_

_'You're not getting out of this Mana, believe me, if I thought it were possible, I'd have gotten myself out of this hell hole long ago.'_

_'Why don't you try again? We can work together and have a chance.'_

_A small mournful sigh slipped past Marian's lips, his eyes downcast, regret filled in his bright red eyes. He ran a hand through his messy locks of scarlet hair, as though contemplating something._

_'Look.'_

_He began to remove his shirt and turned his back to Mana, moving his long hair to one shoulder a revealing a terrible scar down his back, along with other abrasions which had long healed, but remained visible, a reminder. Mana was mesmerized by them, while equally appalled by the fact that someone could be so cruel as to do this to another person._

_'When I was your age, I tried to escape. I ran away from my owner, because I had enough, and I thought I was clever enough to get away. I was nearly there, I just needed to take the next ferry and I'd be free. But those stupid dogs of his got to me before that, ripped me up until I couldn't move a single inch.'_

_The words came out in a whisper, though Mana was able to hear it all, golden eyes wide with horror. Marian put on his lousy shirt, taking a seat next to Mana and leaning his head against the younger's shoulder._

_'I want to protect you from them, but I can't, so I'll just teach you enough so you don't suffer to horribly by their hands.'_

_Cross murmured, pressing his lips softly against the side of Mana's neck, eliciting a light blush to flash across Mana's face. Why did everyone insist on protecting him? He could defend himself well enough, and besides, he wasn't a damsel in distress. He could take care of himself well enough, and he wasn't going to stop now that he was in an impossible situation._

_'Silly Marian.' Mana managed to utter lightly, pushing Marian away and throwing him a reassuring smile. 'I don't need protection, I can look after myself just fine. Rather, I think you need protecting, you've been through so much...'_

_He left it at that when Marian's expression became unreadable, though the unmistakable flush of pale pink across his cheeks brought the smile on Mana's face to stretch further along. Marian grumbled something about having to keep his reputation and resigned himself to taking an early nap, turning his burning face away, so Mana wouldn't see._

_'Whatever, just go to sleep Mana.'_

_'Okay.' Mana replied contently, knowing he had won this round._

_'Marian.'_

_'What?'_

_'Love you.'_

_'...Go to bed Mana.'_

_'Not until you tell me.'_

_'Tell you what?'_

_'That you love me.'_

_'Are you two all of a sudden?'_

_'Just say it stupid.'_

_'...'_

_'I'm waiting.'_

_'...love you Mana.'_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_His stomach growled ravenously as Mana struggled to contain the unbearable pain of hunger which gnawed at his stomach. They had never gone hungry per say, although the money they possessed had never been enough to fully satiate them, but enough to keep them content. By now, several days had gone by after the men had locked them in this room, giving them a sparse meal each morning and nothing more. The pathetic morsels they were fed were not appetizing in the least, and going without food was almost better. Almost. Cross seemed to be fairing better than he was, at any rate. He was probably used to this sort of treatment by now, which brought a question to mind._

_' Marian, how old are you? '_

_'Bout 15, nearly 16. Why do you ask?'_

_'How long have you been in this...thing?'_

_Silence. Mana realized it had been rude to ask such a thing, especially when he wouldn't even reveal what had happened to him to Marian. He didn't want him to know what a coward he was, or what he had done. The mere remembrance of the act brought a series of tremors through Mana, each more violent than the other._

_'I-im sorry, that was rude. I-'_

_'No, its fine.' Marian snorted, giving Mana a light shove. 'I was just surprised, besides, its not like I can be ashamed of what I've done at this point. Since I was eleven.'_

_Four years, which seemed like an awfully long time to be in such a hell. Mana wondered how Marian could say something so casually, as though someone was asking him the time. Again, Marian shoved him playfully, eyes glimmering with amusement._

_'How come I'm the only one who's answering questions here? Don't I get to ask some myself?'_

_Mana tried to contain the smile which crept up his face, giving Marian a small nod. Hopefully it wasn't anything too personal._

_'How about you answer all the questions you've asked me so far?' Marian suggested with an arch of his thick eyebrows, curiosity keen in his tone as he leaned against one of the walls. _

_Furrowing his eyebrows, Mana tried to recall all the questions he had asked so far, but could only recall the two he had just asked._

_'I'm 14 and this is my first time.'_

_Marian snorted, attempting to hide his laughter with the back of his hand, failing miserable as rich laughter echoed across the room. Mana gazed at him in perplexion, before realizing what Marian found so funny and flushed a furious shade of pink, eyes narrowing with embarrassment and annoyance._

_'Thats not what I meant and you know it!' Mana snapped, avoiding Marian's piercing gaze, he refused to see the humor in those gorgeous scarlet eyes._

_'Well yeah but you said it just like that, how else was I suppose to take it?!' Cross replied with muffled laughs, shaking his head at Mana's embarrassment. He was to easy to tease._

_'You said to answer the questions I asked and I did!'_

_'Since when was being a virgin a question?'_

_Groaning, Mana slumped against the floor, burying his face in his hands, ultimately defeated. Sometimes, he really couldn't handle Marian._

_'Obviously I was answering the question about how long I've been in the business.'_

_He grumbled halfheartedly, while Marian simply let out another laugh, this one quieter and more subdue, probably because if he made anymore noise those brutes would beat the shit out of them for not keeping their mouths shut. _

_'Why would you need to answer that? Everything about you screams innocent and sweet!'_

_Marian replied with a mischievous grin, provoking another groan on Mana's part._

_'Why are we talking about this? So who cares if I'm one, I won't be one for long.'_

_The grin on Marian's face was wiped clean off, along with any remnants of amusement which had been riddles across his face just moments before. A new emotion was forming underneath the surface of his mask, though Mana couldn't quite detect it, quickly thinking of something else to push aside the awkward topic. He wondered why he had even answered that question, it had been obvious, he hadn't needed to say it aloud._

_'Do you think its worth escaping? We've been in here an awfully long time...'_

_Marian's expression hardened, immediately casting Mana a look of disapproval. 'Death would be better. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find a use for us somewhere. They have no use for slaves. Or a slut.'_

_His cold response caught him slightly off guard, but then again, this was Marian, who was always very blunt. The brief period of ignorance for their fate and amusement had been destroyed as quickly as it had been formed. No matter how he wished otherwise, the end didn't change for either of them, and at any moment they could lose one another to some sick adult. They would hope otherwise, but there was no escaping their situation, and besides, neither of them had anywhere to go. Nobody cared for them, as those who did had long passed on._

_Sighing mournfully, his thoughts filled with gloom for his inevitable future clear in his mind, a pair of warm arms wrapped around him comfortingly, a small kiss on his hair eliciting a small shiver down Mana's spine. He wouldn't admit to Marian how much his touch drove him crave, aching for more and more of his delightful warmth and soothing aroma. Even if he stank and hadn't take a proper bath in ages. Well, neither of them had, but that didn't matter._

_'Don't worry, I'll protect you. As long as I can.' Marian whispered to him reassuringly, and though Mana knew there was very little Marian could actually protect him from, he appreciated the kind words. Wordlessly, he leaned back against Marian for comfort, eyes fluttering shut as he began to sink into back into the darkness and terror of that day, hoping that for once, he would keep quiet._

* * *

Rustling and soft clinking noises were the first thing Mana heard as he awoke from his dream, lifting a single eyelid to see Cross dress himself in a fine suit, a ribbon tying his thick hair back into a handsome ponytail. The black suit with white bow suited him, and he was undeniably attractive, at least, in Mana's eyes. He made no further move to get up, reveling in the bit of rest and the graceful movement's Cross made as he finished fixing himself up. Seeming satisfied, Cross turned his attention to the bed, realizing Mana was awake. Internally, Mana flinched, instinctively waiting for harsh words or punishment, or worse.

Instead, he was met with a soft smile, the man coming to sit beside him and running a hand through his hair...affectionately. Confused and anxious, Mana remained stiff, glancing at Cross and looking for a shred of anger or malice or that greedy hunger he had first been met with, but found nothing. He seemed different from yesterday, kinder, gentler.

'Sleep well?' Cross murmured as he gave his forehead a kiss. This was definitely not the same man, this must be his twin or someone else. That or Mana was still dreaming, which he found a bit hard to believe, since everything felt so real.

Not really sure how to respond, he took the safest option and nodded slowly, waiting for this new Cross to disappear and to be the one he had met. Again, that didn't happen, and ever so gently, warm, soft lips were pressed against his. It wasn't anything sexual, but something new to Mana, almost as though it was genuine. Of course, the sweet pressure was short lived, as Cross drew away and gestured to a pile of casual clothing.

'I'll be away for most of the day, there's some clothes for you to wear. You'll be responsible for caring for Allen from now on, since he's quite the handful, or so I hear from Sophia and the others.' He murmured in good humor, leaving Mana's beside to the door.

'Ah, um, who is Allen?' Mana asked tentatively, fearing that his stupidity may result in losing the man's good temper, but instead, Cross merely chuckled.

'The little brat who you meet yesterday, you know, with silver eyes?'

Ah, that kid.

'I'll have one of the ladies leave you some breakfast and show you some of the brat's work he's supposed to be doing for school. Kid never does what he's told, but maybe he'll listen to you?'

The last part was said mostly to Cross, but Mana still caught it, turning his head to hide the small, amuse smile which flickered across his face. When he finally looked back, Cross was already gone, and voices could faintly be heard from downstairs. With a sigh, Mana rose from the bed, letting the blanket fall and reveal his bruised, thin body. He had never been well fed or treated, so he supposed he would wait for this generous treatment to stop. There was no way it would last, right?

He began to put on the clothes, jumping slightly when he heard a sharp exclamation from the door. He didn't bother to whip around, only turning his head slightly to see a thoroughly bright red maid, her mouth agape, eyes wide with...shock? Whatever it was, she quickly uttered a string of apologies, backing away and retreating into the hallway. A quiet chuckled slipped out as he finished pulling a pair of undergarments on. He finished quickly, about to tell the maid he was done only to turn and find her at the doorway, her eyes completely covered by her hands, her cheeks no longer flushed bright red but a light pink.

'Ar-are y-you do-done ch-chan-changing?' She managed to stutter, again, evoking another chuckle from Mana.

'Yes, I apologize for that unpleasant sight, I'm used to being by myself.' He mused, blinking apologetically, though the maid only blushed brighter.

'I'l-I'll br-bring the-the, your, bre-breakfast...'

She left without another word, scurrying off into the hallway with an awkward bow, as a head full of snowy white hair popped from the side, silver eyes gazing at him curiously.

'Allen.' Mana greeted, wondering if the boy had witnessed what had just occurred.

Plaintively ignoring his greeting, Allen walked into the room as though he owned, flashing him a mischieful grin. So he had seen.

"That was Miranda, she's a new maid Cross took in, but she's awfully clumsy and gets embarrassed over the silliest of things. But she works hard, which is why Cross hired her in the first place."

Allen rambled as he made himself comfortable on the bed.

"Is that so?" Mana replied absentmindedly, his eyes wandering away from the silver gaze and towards the door's entrance, where the maid, Miranda, walked in nervously, the platter of food shaking dangerously as she made her way towards the bed. With a roll of his eyes, Mana left the bed to assist her, bringing it to the bed as Allen began to seize pieces of the meal and zealously devour them whole. It was both disgusting and intriguing, as Mana watched the boy down half of his breakfast in record time.

"M-ma, master Allen, y-you mu-mus-sn't eat his food, I-i just fed you b-break-fast a li-little while ago." Miranda whimpered anxiously, though Mana merely smiled and waved it off. His appetite had never been very big, so he didn't particularly mind sharing. As the maid stumbled out of the room, Mana gave the white haired child a peculiar look. He had been under the impression Allen was a servant, but that clearly wasn't the case the way that maid had addressed him as. Was he an illegitimate child or...?

"Master Allen?"

"Don't call me that, just Allen is fine." The boy muttered irritably, avoiding Mana's curious gaze.

"Then, you are not a servant?"

"Yes and no. Master- I mean, Cross, bought me at an auction after I was abandoned on the streets by my parents. Sometimes he'll make me do stuff around the manor or prepare stuff for his 'guest' but otherwise he lets me do whatever I want."

Surprised, Mana finished the final bite of the biscuit he had been nibbling at, pushing himself up and leaning against the back board. First he had been treated fairly well, Cross was nice to him, and the boy was saved from servitude by this man. Things just kept getting stranger the more time passed, what next?

"Is he bipolar?" Mana asked aloud, not realizing he had spoken his thoughts aloud. Allen responded with a shrug, grabbing one of the pillows and resting his head on it.

"No, but sometimes he gets into these moods where he can be really rough or demanding. He's usually pretty nice though, but lately he's been on edge for some weird reason. But whatever you two did last night must have brought him out of his mood. Which is good, cause I didn't like those other women he was sleeping with, they talk to loud and pinch my cheeks."

Allen yawned as he replied, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes and reaching into his pant pocket for a piece of paper. "This is the list of things you're supposed to follow, Cross told me to give it to you."

Taking the list, he swiftly looked over it, paling slightly as he realized he had no idea what the topics were about. What the hell was that guy thinking, he had barely had an education. Hell the fact that he could read was a blessing enough, but that was the extent of his minuscule knowledge.

Where do I go from here?

Allen watched as Mana began to panic at the task given to him, and he reached out to gently rub the man's cheek, which was met with a shocked glance.

"I already know all the stuff on the list, Cross just likes messing with people." He said with a grin, which slightly eased Mana's discomfort, though only a bit. "Don't look so nervous, its mostly just all the homework I've been avoiding. School is so boring." Allen groaned as he dropped his hand and fell onto the bed lazily. He peeked at Mana, the silver eyes awaiting a response, though Mana gave none.

"You're not very talkative, are you?" Allen mumbled as he began to poke Mana's leg. Snorting, Mana shoved the kid off the bed, who fell onto the floor with a squeak of surprise.

"Never had any reason to be. Besides, you talk a lot for my taste." Just like Neah. The reminder of how much this boy reminded him of his deceased younger brother was irritating. He disliked remembering the dead, especially those whom he had loved dearly. If only...

"Hello? Earth to Mana? Are you even listening to me?" Allen's voice brought him out of his trance, blinking once as he merely shrugged, evoking a roll of the eyes from Allen. "I said if you're done with your food, I'll give you a tour of the manor."

"The list..."

"Later, that can wait till afterwards! C'mon, I don't want to sit here all day!"

With a sigh, Mana pushed the remaining platter of food towards the side, allowing Allen to drag him out of the room.

* * *

A few hours later, Mana was standing over Allen and watching the boy scribble answers onto a piece of parcel, grumbling to himself about how stupid this was. Originally, the child had tried to distract Mana enough and avoid his work, but not wanting to get on the bad side of Cross for disobeying orders, Mana had insisted upon Allen completing his task. Though the brat had given him quite a chase, he'd manage to grab the child and drag him to the study and force him to focus on his studies, albeit reluctantly and with plenty of complaints.

"Complaining isn't going to get this over with any sooner. What are you, two?" Mana couldn't help but mutter irritably, exhausted from having chased Allen half across the manor. He was going to get revenge on the brat for having to waste his time like this.

"I'm 16! And besides, you wouldn't know boring this is!" Allen snapped as he gripped tighter onto his pen, causing Mana to lightly smack the back of the other's head. He didn't care if he wasn't educated or never had the chance at one, since he wasn't the type to get easily embarrassed.

Glancing back at the corner of the room where an enormous clock sat, indicating it was nearly three in the afternoon, about a quarter till. He wondered when Cross would make his reappearance and how things would proceed from here afterwards. Were his task merely to be a nanny to some bratty teen and a sex toy for the Master to use or...? God, this was so strange, Mana almost wished for his old owner, since he had been straightforward with his desires. Strike that, he didn't want to go back, ever.

A gentle knock on the half closed door brought Mana's attention to the beautiful maid whom he had seen on his first day, the one who had given him that nasty look. She, of course, cast him a look of pure revulsion, as though the mere sight of him caused her to want to vomit.

"Master Cross wishes to know how Allen is progressing on his work, slut." She simpered lightly, the note of loathe clear as she added the last word. Mana politely ignored it, not out of politeness, but because he honestly couldn't be bothered by her snide remark. So what if he was a slut? Like she was any different.

"Well enough, I'm sure he'll be done in a bit, since he's finishing up the last of his arithmetics work." Mana replied in almost a bored tone, glancing at Allen for confirmation, which was affirmed with a short nod from the white haired teen. The maid, having nothing more to say, gave Mana an ugly sneer before gliding away. What a lovely person.

"Don't mind Veronica, she's such a whore." Allen said under his breath as he continued to work, not lifting his eyes from the paper. "She was Cross's favorite for a while now, and now that he's cut her cold turkey, she's furious. She couldn't believe it when he announced that he would be bringing in his own private 'assistant'."

Mana couldn't help but snort softly, 'private assistant'. What the hell did that even mean? "How meaningless, getting jealous of some male whore. I doubt that just because I've arrived will mean anything, he'll lose interest in me after some time. They always do."

Allen merely shrugged in response, "Maybe."

The conversation ended there, Allen finishing the rest of his work in silence, and the two headed towards the dining room, where Cross and a few other fancily dressed people sat, food already served and being eaten delicately. Allen joined in by taking a seat besides on of the strangers, and Mana began to back off into the hallway they had come from, knowing it wasn't his place to be there. He was stopped by his name being called, turning to face Cross, who gestured for him to take the empty seat besides him. Biting the bottom of his lip nervously, he walked over quietly, trying not to attract attention from the other guest, which he was unsuccessful in doing. As he took a seat, one of the guest to Cross's left murmured something into his ear, which he promptly whispered a response back, causing the other flush just so and turn their attention back to their food.

Though he was curious as to what Cross had told the other guest, he began to put some food on his plate, careful not to pick to much. He didn't want to break some unspoken rule of how much servants were allowed to eat. He was still surprised that Cross had invited him to dine with his guest, was it for show or something else?

"You know you can add more to your plate." Cross stated as he glanced at the pitiful amount of food Mana had served himself.

"I'm not that hungry." Mana murmured as he kept his gaze downcast, flushing when his stomach betrayed him and let out a small growl, loud enough so just Cross could hear it. Smirking, Cross added more food to the pile, nearly filling the entire plate before giving it back to Mana, who glanced at Cross appreciatively before digging in. Of course, he was mindful to keep his manners in line so as to not disturb Cross's company.

"That brat was worse off then you were when he arrived. He was thin as a bone and ate ten times the amount he does now." Cross said quietly, as his guests made small talk with each other, conveniently giving the two of them some time to converse.

"I wouldn't want you to think I'm some pig, I've gone off less for longer periods of time." Mana replied tentatively, taking a sip of the sweet juice which resided in his glass. It wasn't wine, but something similar in taste and much sweeter. Grape juice?

"You needn't worry about what I think, this is your home now." Cross said, taking a bite out of his pasta and gazing at Mana meaningfully. Surprised, Mana's eyes widened with shock, what did he mean this was his home?! He was a whore for god's sake! He didn't have a home, he was just a temporary residence within this mansion which would eventually be sold off again for someone else to use.

"I don't understa-"

A loud barking suddenly echoed from the hallway as an enormous golden dog bounced into the dining room, tongue hanging out of its mouth and eager brown eyes scanning the room in delight for a particular someone. It scrambled over to the white haired teen, who giggled as the dog jumped on top of him and licked his face zealously.

"T-timcanpy! Hey boy, where've you been?"

Of course, the dog merely barked happily in response to the question, and the guest chuckled at the sight of the two. Cross walked over to Timcanpy, rubbing his hand against his head affectionately. "Allen, why don't you go outside and feed Tim?"

Allen nodded, pushing the dog onto the floor, and went out into the hallway while the dog followed happily, its tail wagging furiously. Chuckling, Cross went back to take his seat, and returned his attention back to Mana, waiting for him to finish his previous statement.

"I-i beg your pardon, I need a moment." Mana stuttered as he pushed his chair away from the table, quickly walking out of the dining room and into the restroom. He closed the door and locked it with a click, sliding his back against the door frame and letting out a soft sob. What was even happening? He couldn't comprehend Cross or his motives, and it was driving him insane. He didn't understand it, ever since he had been captured, he had been treated horribly time after time. Always as though he were merely a thing, not a person, or someone of equal value to his owner. He had destroyed his pride and done some many shameful acts for his owner's pleasure that he hardly even knew the meaning of shame.

He could handle that pain and treatment though, not whatever Cross was doing. Why would he do it? He was just some whore he'd bought for a lot of money? It was so different from everything he was accustomed to, he was terrified to ruin it. Another frightened sob racked his body as he curled into a ball, resting against the wall for support. Closing his eyes, he felt himself drift into a restless slumber, the memories of that day which had long ceased to torment him arising the old feelings of terror.

* * *

_A/N: Not the most riveting of chapters, but I was honestly struggling here. Give me some credit, this is my first story in well over a year since then. _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Groggily, Mana opened his eyes, vision blurry as he attempted to figure out where the hell he was. It was difficult to do so, as it was very dark, making it nearly impossible for him to see anything. Occupied by trying to figure where he was, he shivered._

_It was dark, cold, terrifying._

_Where was he?_

_An odor, a strange odor registered in his mind, and he made the mistake of turning his head, where the scent of decay was stronger._

_Red._

_Scarlet._

_Crimson._

_There were crimson stains on the floor, fresh, vermillion pools of liquid slowly drawing closer to him. A body, no, two bodies lay in front of him, blood spilling out of their bodies, wounds refusing to close. They're eyes were facing him, the frigid depths of nothingness boring into his skull, conveying a message more powerful than words could ever express._

_You killed us._

_'NO I DIDN'T!'_

_He shrieked at the bodies, which of course, didn't respond. But their eyes, though no life resided within them, the blood continuous oozing from the body until it was dry, gazed blankly at him._

_Judging him._

_Demanding why he had run._

_Why he had abandoned them._

_'PLEASE, I WAS SCARED, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!'_

_Golden eyes remained unfazed, fixated on the stupefied boy, who buried his face in his hands, trying to rid the images of the corpses from his mind. _

_Guilt._

_He was guilty of leaving them to die, a coward through and through._

_Then, something grabbed his shoulder, dragging him away from the scene of bloodshed._

_'NO, DON'T TAKE ME! NEAH! MOTHER!'_

_And then there were hands, touching him, groping him, molesting him with such lustful desire, he could barely hold back his screams of protest, though he withered in the grasps, furiously trying to escape this hell. But they only further tightened their grip, breaching his defenses further, pressing their filthy lips against his own, his ear, collarbone._

_Disgust. _

_Revulsion._

_Hatred._

_Fury._

_Helplessness._

_Words were whispered into his ear as he was taken again and again, coaxing him to give in and admit that he enjoyed this, even so much as craved it. Nothing could be further from the truth, and on he struggled fruitlessly, unable to escape the nightmare and falling victim to it once more._

* * *

He awoke with a strangled cry, sitting upright immediately and still fighting the phantom touches he felt, though he had managed to exit his nightmare. He flipped off the bed with a loud thud, whimpering fearfully and desperately trying to forget their grotesque touch from his memory.

His heart beat erratically, his breath short as he panted, shaking as the nightmare was fresh in his mind, tears streaming down from his beautiful golden hues and onto the floor. It had been a week since he had been bought by Cross, and he had not been touched since the first night, aside from the occasional kisses, hugs, and little other things which made Mana's heart flutter dangerously. Nightmares hadn't bothered him for the longest of times, and why they had decided now to come back was beyond Mana, as tonight was the worst, since he was usually able to hold it together enough to simply fall back asleep not a few minutes after he had awoken. Though he was careful not to wake Cross, he had somehow managed to not awaken him once this whole week, but then again, he didn't normally wake up in such a mess. Mana decided to wait for the moment to pass, the cool floorboards soon stained with small pools of tears.

God, he so desperately wished for that gorgeous red hairs touch, it had been so long since someone he had genuinely cared for actually return the feelings and give him equal love in return for his. Craving those soft caresses from those calloused hands, Mana's body shivered, a quiet whimper of torment escaping him as he held his body tightly. The feelings of disgust were beginning to fade, and yet, he could not get rid of the ever nagging repulsion he felt towards himself, for enjoying their touch, his body reacting to it when he had felt no such pleasure in the least.

"Marian."

He whispered to himself as quietly as possible, tears streaming down his faster, golden eyes filled with misery as they stared at the floor. Carried away in his thoughts and trying to ignore the continuous revolting memories which were playing over in his head, he didn't realize the presence behind him. Arms suddenly wrapped around him protectively, as he let out a sound of surprise, intermingled with fear. He thrashed about into the person's embrace, before recognizing who it was.

He immediately fell still, about to mutter a string of apologies when he was swept off the floor and placed gently back on the bed. Soon after that, he was on his side and being held by Cross, which was oddly very very soothing. Still, the tears which he had been holding back for the most part began to spill, and since there was no point in keeping silent, he began to weep in earnest. No words were needed to convey his pain, and Cross stayed silent the whole time Mana wept, only bringer him closer and kissing the top of his head softly.

Mana hadn't cried like this in years, he had had no chance too, and he was certainly never going to show that side of himself to anyone he didn't trust. In general, he just didn't like showing weakness, though he had been a bit of a cry baby as a child, he had long out grown that side of himself, easily hiding away every harsh feeling with the poker face he had perfected over the years. If anything, these past years had only strengthened that mask and given him practice to perfect his act in front of others. However, he was only human, and could only last so long before he broke.

The sobbing continued for a period a time, as the part inside Mana which had been screaming in anguish began to quiet, as the sobs became quieter, and the tears ceased to be shed. Exhausted, Mana weakly cuddled closer into Cross's chest, wiping some of the snot on his bed shirt and weakly glancing upwards apologetically.

A brief moment of panic ensued as he realized he had just cried for an hour on Cross, then proceeded to wipe some of his gross snot on his shirt. It passed when Cross began to wipe away the remains of the tears on his face, gently kissing each spot, his warm lips soothing Mana and his uncertainty.

"Why, why are you doing this?" Mana found himself asking quietly, immediately regretting it and was about to tell Cross to forget it when the other sighed, then proceeded to surprise him with an answer,

"Because you called my name..."

Wha-?

Oh.

OH.

OH!

"You- I, when?"

Okay, so that would explain some things, but not entirely. God he was at a lost for words, since yes, he had made the connection, but he had simply brushed it off as a coincidence.

"Explain. I don't understand, why have you been gone for so long? How did you find me? Why didn't you tell me? What-"

Mana was cut off as Marian simply locked his lips with his, shutting him up as all questions were forgotten, and though he tried his best not to get to caught up in the moment, since he really wanted some answers to his questions, it was ultimately futile as Marian demanded submission with his wet muscle, pushing against Mana's lower lip. Mana parted his lips, low, wanting moans slipping past him as Marian invaded his mouth and explored the cavern of his mouth eagerly, overwhelming Mana and causing his face to flush brilliantly until the other finally pulled away, allowing him a chance to capture his breath once more.

"Ga...ah...geez, so...impatient...hah..." Mana groaned breathlessly, barely able to form a coherent thought, let alone sentence as his half closed lids gazed into Marian's. His gaze was returned with a half affectionate, half annoyed look, as though Marian was contemplating whether or not to be annoyed with Mana or to simply give into his true feelings.

"It's been ten years." The red head murmured as he gently pushed a strand of silky chestnut hair behind Mana's hair, scarlet eyes glimmering with an unknown emotion...regret? "I didn't exactly have plans of holding back you know...?"

"Of course you didn't." Mana purred, reaching up and running his hand through the long, messy hair of scarlet hair which ran down Marian's back, an amused grin forming on his lips. "But still...my questions?" He pushed himself upright, seeing as their conversation would probably be a long one, as they had a lot of catching up to do. Might as well make himself comfortable, since there was no way he was going to back to sleep without getting some answers from Marian. Plus, there was the nightmare which he had somewhat forgotten, but it still hung as a dreadful reminder as what would meet him if he closed his eyes again. One he was not particularly eager to return to, so he'd prefer a few less hours of torment which weren't spent reliving some painful memories.

Marian sighed, shaking his head and about to say something when he saw mana's frown, and seemed to think whatever he was about to say. "Fine, what would you like me to answer first?" Of course, the red head took a similar position as Mana, sitting up and using the back board as support to lean on.

"Why didn't you tell me when I first arrived?" Mana asked almost accusingly, though Marian simply shrugged. "I wasn't sure if you remembered me, since it was a long time ago...and I was also...mad, at a lot of things. It took me ages to find you, and then your owners made it a pain in the ass to purchase you from them. Then those sick bastards...one of them was from our time together, I can never forget that nasty son of a bitch's face, those fucking eyes of his are so lecherous, they rape anyone on the spot with just one fucking sick look of his. Ugh."

"Also..." He trailed off, as though embarrassed about what he about to say, but continued with a grimace. "I'm sorry how I first treated you, I had too much to drink that day and...well, I wasn't in the right mind, but nothing I say can make up for my behavior. I'm sorry."

Mana shook his head, golden hues glimmering dimly with understanding. "Its fine, besides, I'm used to it...and worse..." Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, as Marian's expression twisted at his words, abruptly looking away from Mana and suddenly turning his interest to the wallpapered wall. "Please...don't compare me to those people." Marian whispered, his reply barely audible to Mana's ear as he strained to catch it. "What I did, to you of all people...no, it just wasn't right," slightly frustrated, Mana reached over and grabbed Marian's face, giving him a stern look and lightly flicking his forehead. "Don't be stupid, this is the kind of business I've been in for years, I can take care of myself. If I couldn't handle that much, then I wouldn't have lasted very long, would I?" Marian still couldn't seem to face him, which slightly annoyed Mana, who knew what he was capable of dealing with. What Marian had did was practically nice compared to the hell his past owner's had done to him, but there was no way in hell that he was going to tell Marian why he was okay with it. Well, not okay, but he just simply...used to it. It was the only way he knew how to phrase it. Words had never been his specialty, but rather, a certain someone's...

"Still..." But Mana cut him off with a quick smooch, glaring at him and daring his to finish whatever he was about to say, which he quickly shut up.

"So is that all you wanted to ask?" Marian asked with a sigh, carefully meeting Mana's stare.

"Of course not! Thats not even a quarter of what I have in mind! How did you even find me? Or come up with the money to even buy me? How did you escape? Why-"

"Okay, okay." The other grumbled as he covered Mana's mouth with his hand, rolling his eyes when Mana licked it sensually, but decided to push the less appropriate thought which had come to mind aside. "Not all at once, or else I won't be able to keep up...let me think..." He mumbled as he became lost in thought for a moment, before sighing and continuing. "I didn't escape, at some point I got bought by this nice lady who had this enormous fortune. She didn't want me for anything. Said she just wanted for me to have a chance outside that hell...so she passed away after a few years and in her will, she transferred her entire fortune to me, since she had no other living relatives. Which was about six years ago now, but I still wonder what she saw in me to buy me, since I was just a good for nothing whore. Oh whatever. So yeah, theres that question answered, huh, lets see.."

"Well, I guess I answered the other question about the money, so, finding you. That, was the hard part. You weren't on record anywhere, and since we were sold separately, I had no idea if you were sold in a private auction, or public, or just thrown into a brothel. Plus, people don't like coughing up information very easily, so I had to use quite a few...persuasive methods to get some of them talking. Others were more than willing to let loose all they knew, which made my life easier, but still, it took six years to actually get out, then four years to actually find you. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise sooner." He trailed off, seeming lost for words as he pursed his lips, keeping his gaze downwards and away from Mana, as though he were guilty of a crime.

"Marian, its okay, you did what you could. I'm just happy you actually remembered me and that promise. Now I don't...," he had a difficult choking out the last part, but he managed, "have to go...back."

"I suppose." Mana sighed at Marian's uncertain reply, pressing his cheek against the other's reassuringly, knowing that everything would be okay.

"So, you had more questions?"

"Well..." Mana snickered as he remembered one of them, "the rest can wait for another time, but I am curious..."

"Why the name Cross?"

Marian sighed and pushed Mana back onto the bed, which he willing complied, snuggling closer in Marian's warm embrace, awaiting an answer.

Silence.

"Hey, I really want to know." Mana complained in a slightly whiny tone. Which provoked a long, exasperated sigh from Marian.

"Remember...how you mentioned your mother used to wear a necklace with a cross on it?"

Smirking, Mana couldn't hold back the series of giggles which burst out, causing Marian to scowl and tickle Mana's side in relation, immediately causing the other to screech and move away from his embrace. However, Mana quickly returned and pecked Marian's nose, as Marian closed his eyes and hummed lightly, a distinct note of happiness making it clear that Mana's impulsive actions of affection easily pleased the red head.

"Whatever, just sleep."

Mana smiled, but secretly began to fear his reasoning for waking up at such a time in the night, though Marian simply brought him closer to his chest, kissing his forehead fondly.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you. I'm here now."

Of course he knew what to say to make him feel safe, and for that, Mana was eternally grateful, allowing his weary lids to close and fade into restful slumber.

* * *

_The end._


End file.
